22 Aug 14
More on the new "tax receipt"

MEMBER 115 writes:

"Thank you to Member 113 in last week's TAXVINE - see 2014 TAXVINE No 29 (15 August 2014) - for saying what I have been thinking since I saw my first tax receipt. What an absolute waste of time and money. There is a kid in America who came up with an idea to save the government quite an amount of money relating to printing costs by altering the amount of ink used in printing documents. Perhaps this kid could come Down Under and help the Government to fix our budget deficit by removing the need for a tax receipt. As far as I can work out the receipt is meant to make you feel all warm and fuzzy about where your tax dollars are spent. I prefer the 'Mushroom Theory- kept in the dark and fed on...'

Keep up the Member Feedback, it helps one's sanity on a Friday."

MEMBER 116 writes:

"I agree with Member 113. I have heard NO positive feedback about the tax receipt. Presumably the suppliers of colour printer cartridges to the ATO are happy though.

Seriously, I realise this was a Government idea, but the ATO is responsible for implementation. Did nobody in the ATO consider putting a question on the individual tax return form to ask taxpayers if they actually want this document? I suggest that the ATO consider doing this next year. I am sure that once taxpayers have seen this information once, the bulk of people won't want it again!"